The probable impacts of climate change on poverty - UNDP

6.7 Industry and Infrastructure
Climate <strong>change</strong>, variability and extremes have large <strong>impacts</strong> on Industry and Infrastructure. Flood and cyclone are
the two major climatic events which affect this sector severely. Flood has great <strong>impacts</strong> on small and medium
industries, including handloom. <strong>The</strong> key experts informed that handloom industries in Pabna, Sirajganj and Bogra
are severely affected by flood and river bank erosion almost every year. Investment by handloom owners is lost.
Loom workers lose their income for two to three months and <strong>of</strong>ten migrate to greater cities for carrying their
livelihoods. This creates huge pressure on cities’ utility services, health, sanitation and sewerage systems. <strong>The</strong>
women workers involved in handloom become fully unemployed during flood. <strong>The</strong>y cannot either earn or
migrate to other places. Other industries also suffer due to disruption <strong>of</strong> roads and communication systems,
power supply networks etc. Drought also affects industrial production causing health stress <strong>of</strong> worker, seasonal
migration due to scarcity <strong>of</strong> water and decreases in the number <strong>of</strong> workers in the drought season etc.
In the coastal area, industry and infrastructure are mainly affected by cyclone and storm surge. Climate <strong>change</strong>
events, especially cyclone have both direct and indirect <strong>impacts</strong> on industry. It destroys buildings <strong>of</strong> industries
and machineries in one hand; on the other hand, it destroys roads and other communication networks, power
supply networks, water supply networks, and causes health degradation and death <strong>of</strong> workers. Moreover, salinity
has large scale <strong>impacts</strong> on industry. <strong>The</strong> Khulna Paper Mill was closed due to increase water salinity <strong>of</strong> the river. It
also affects machineries and materials <strong>of</strong> industries and causes loss <strong>of</strong> large investments. Erratic rainfall causes
urban drainage congestion which also affects production <strong>of</strong> industries. Tourism industries are affected by coastal
erosion, coastal inundation, cyclone and storm surge, scarcity <strong>of</strong> fresh water availability in the coastal region etc.
<strong>The</strong> following two tables provide damage <strong>of</strong> different types <strong>of</strong> infrastructure due to major cyclones and floods
which struck Bangladesh.
Table 6.10 Damage to Infrastructure by Different Major Cyclones
Damage
Event
<strong>The</strong> Probable Impacts <strong>of</strong> Climate Change on Poverty and Economic Growth and
the Options <strong>of</strong> Coping with adverse Effect <strong>of</strong> Climate Change in Bangladesh
1991 Cyclone 2007 Cyclone ‘Sidr’ 2008 Cyclone
‘Rashmi’
No. <strong>of</strong> Affected District 19 30 17
No. <strong>of</strong> Most Affected District 12
No. <strong>of</strong> Affected Upazila 102 200 27
No. <strong>of</strong> Affected
Union/Pourashava/Municipality
9 (Municipality)
1,950
(Union/Paurashava)
94 (Union)
No. <strong>of</strong> Affected Family 20,64,026 20,64,026 92,701
No. <strong>of</strong> Affected People 1,07,98,275 89,23,259 3,21,831
Fully damaged crops 1,33,272acr. 7,42,826 acr. 775 acr.
Partially damaged crops 7,91,621 acr 17,30,116 acr 18,022 acr.
No. <strong>of</strong> fully damaged household 8,19,608 5,63,877 4,360
No. <strong>of</strong> partially damaged household 8,82,750 9,55,065 12,404
No. <strong>of</strong> death people 1,38,882 3,363 7
No. <strong>of</strong> Injured People 1,39,058 55,282 --
No. <strong>of</strong> Livestock death 10,61,029
17,78,507 ----
No. <strong>of</strong> fully damaged educational
institutions
3,865
4,231
----
No. <strong>of</strong> partiall ydamaged educational
institutions
5,801
12,723
Fullydamaged roads 764 miles (earthen) 1,714 km
Partially damaged roads 6,361 km 6,361 km 212 km
No. <strong>of</strong> damaged bridges/culverts, 496 1,687 -----
Embankment 707 miles 1,875 km 28 km
No. <strong>of</strong> damaged trees ----- 40,65,316 -----
Source: DMB, 2008
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